Cooking Classes

18.6.16

Today was opening day for our farmers' market season. There were a few changes and I have new helpers so it was with a touch of anxiety that I awoke this morning to do it all over again.

I wish I had taken a few pictures. The market was flooded with happy people anxious to buy our offerings. I love market day. After a week of kitchen work it is time to meet your buyers face to face and enjoy a bit of camaraderie.

Tonight I played with food that arrived in my foraged food box from northern Saskatchewan. What a grand meal.

The burn morels were prime. Large, dry and not wormy. They made a flavourful risotto. Dandelion greens are heavy in the dietary fibre so no need to make a lot. Their bitter flavour complimented the risotto. And I have about 6 dozen quail eggs. It was fun to poach a couple. But seriously, they only take a minute. Quail eggs taste like chicken eggs but they proportionately have a large yolk.

9.6.16

I recently visited a new business in Moose Jaw, SK - Coteau Hills Creamery. There are precious few cheese makers in this province so the opening was an event to be celebrated. I came home with their Balkan style feta. It is softer and saltier than the Greek style but just as versatile.

Here is a bit about Kirby and Crystal, the owners:

The British
Columbia wine industry was good to Kirby and Crystal Froese but after almost
two decades it was time to return home to Saskatchewan. “We really wanted to
come back to our hometown of Moose Jaw to be with our families. Our nieces and
nephew were growing up fast, our parents were getting older, too,” shares
Kirby.

It didn’t take
long for their entrepreneurial spirit to resurface and after researching
various opportunities cheese making seemed like a natural transition from wine
making. “Time, temperature, pH, hygiene and patience are elements of both
businesses.” They are a dynamite combination to have their own small business.
Kirby was the winemaker and Crystal worked in communications and marketing.

They opened the
Coteau Hills Creamery with a 750 litre (200 gal) batch pasteurizer/cheese vat. Local
milk is delivered every second day from Caroncrest Farms at Caronport, SK and
two other local dairies. Milk is pumped directly into the vat and is held at 63
C (145 F) for 30 minutes before it is processed into cheese. As production
increases milk will be delivered daily.

Kirby and
Crystal are setting their sights on distributing their cheese throughout the
country. In order to be federally registered to sell outside of the province, a
“Certificate of Analysis” must accompany all the ingredients and come from a
Canadian Food Inspection Agency registered facility.

Their first
cheese is a Balkan style feta and will be available soon. It is softer and
creamier than a Greek feta and saltier.

Next they plan to experiment with other small
batch handmade cheeses without using additives to increase yield or add colour.
A hamburger cheddar and a brie style are in the works. They are also working on
a saskatoon berry rubbed tomme style cheese, which has a lower butterfat content,
firmer and with a rind, for release in August.

Phyllo Balkan Feta Torte
With Spring Herbs

This is much ligher than a
dip and can be heaped with microgreens for a dramatic effect. Serve with
crostini or crackers, if you wish.

Brush 6 1/2 inch (16.5 cm) spring
form pan with some of the melted butter. Drape 2 sheets of phyllo on top of
Bundt pan. Do this with 2 more sheets placed perpendicular to the first 2
sheets. Continue adding phyllo sheets in this crisscross manner until all
sheets are used. Edges of phyllo should hang over edges of pan.

Scrape half of the ricotta filling
into pan. Spread pesto over the cheese. Spoon the rest of the ricotta mixture
on top. Fold edges of phyllo over filling. Using a sharp knife, poke at least 10
holes in dough that reach all the way to bottom of pan. Slowly pour melted
butter over torte. Some butter will seep through holes and some will remain on top
of dough.

Place pan on a baking sheet and bake
for about 1 hour, or until torte is puffy and golden brown. Allow torte to cool
in pan for 1 hour before removing from the spring form pan and serving on a plate.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

2.6.16

I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan. Rhubarb in the spring was a staple but we never had any on our farm. I pined for rhubarb pie and did not learn how to make one until years later. This is another version that I thought I would try. The crust is a butter crust rather than a lard crust. It has a meringue. A nice variation from the standard.

Rhubarb Meringue
Pie

Eggs should be
at room temperature when making meringue. It usually takes about 30 minutes for
eggs from the refrigerator to warm up to room temperature. Older eggs give
better volume than fresh eggs. Be sure the bowl and utensils are fat-free because
the tiniest bit of fat will ruin the meringue. Add the sugar when the egg
whites have reached the soft peak stage. The peaks will fall over gently when
they have reached the soft peak stage. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks
are formed.

Put the meringue
on a piping hot pie and cover the top completely and touching the crust all
around to prevent it from shrinking. The heat will partially cook the bottom of
the meringue and prevent shrinking and weeping. Cut a with a knife dipped in
cold water.

1 recipe of Buttery Pastry

4-5 c. rhubarb, raw 1-1.25
L

1 tsp. orange zest5 mL

2 eggs, separated

2/3 c. + 1/4 c. sugar 150
mL + 60 mL

2 tbsp. all purpose flour30 mL

2 tbsp. butter, melted 30 mL

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1
mL

Roll out pastry
and line a deep pie plate. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Chop
the rhubarb it into roughly 1cm slices. If the stalks are very wide and chunky
then cut in half lengthways, also. Scatter on a baking sheet and bake until
tender. Remove from baking and drain, reserving the liquid.

Separate eggs, putting
the whites aside for the meringue. Beat egg yolks in a medium sized bowl with a
fork. Add 2/3 cup sugar, flour and the melted butter. Continue to beat until
blended. Then add the eggs and 1/3 cup of the rhubarb liquid to make a smooth
and runny paste. Add rhubarb and mix to blend. Pour into pastry shell. Bake
until set, about 30-40 minutes.

Beat egg whites until
they form soft peaks, add cream of tartar, 1/4 cup of remaining sugar and
continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Spoon this over the hot
cooked rhubarb pie, making sure it is completely covered and there is no gap
where rhubarb can bubble through the meringue. Use the spoon to bring some of
the meringue into peaks. Put back in the oven for about 15 minutes until the
peaks are toasted.

Pulse flour,
sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter. Pulse until the texture of
very coarse meal. Add ice water slowly until dough comes together in clumps.
Form into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Makes 1
single crust.

Rhubarb Eton
Mess

4 c. rhubarb 1 L

2 tsp. maple sugar 10 mL

2 c. whipping cream 500 mL

1 packet individual meringue nests

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Chop the rhubarb into 1/2 inch (12 mm) pieces.
Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Roast until the rhubarb is
tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly
crumble in 4 meringue nests.

Take out about half a cupful of the rhubarb, and fold the meringue cream
and rest of the fruit mixture together.

Arrange in 4 dessert bowls and top each with remaining rhubarb. Serve
immediately.

Rhubarb Iced Tea

8 c. rhubarb, chopped into small pieces 2 L

1 c. sugar 250 mL

1 Earl Grey teabag

Roast chopped rhubarb in a 350 F (180 C) oven until tender. Remove from
oven and cool slightly. Strain the juice from the fruit in a colander. Use the
fruit for a pie or crisp.

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About Me

By education, I am a home economist and by interest, I am an avid cook. I taught high school home ec for a little while, belonged to a dinner club for at least 17 years (same group!) and recently began teaching some cooking classes. I am a foodie at heart and always bring back a bag full of groceries from where I travel. It makes for an interesting pantry! All of the above happened while I lived in Calgary for 35 years. I spent 5 months housesitting in Tennessee and lapped up all the Southern cooking ideas.
Now I am back in Canada and bought a house in a little city on the Saskatchewan prairies.